Combined buleb and compasses



J. l.. MENIN. AND A. E. PLAUSCHINAT.

COMBINED RULER AND COMPASSES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. 191e.

Patented May 20, 191.9.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE JOSEPH I. MEN IN AND ALFRED E. PLAUSGHINAT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED RULER AND COMPASSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

To Z5 -uw/n. t may concern:

Bc it known that we, JOSEPH I. MENIN aud ALFRED E. PLAUSCHINAT, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined ing is a specification.

This invention relates to measuring instruments, and the object thereof is to provide a combined ruler and compass.

Another object is to rovide a simply constructed, cheap and ecient instrument of this character, which may be readily converted from one into the other at the will of the user with the loss of very little time.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of the instrument constituting this invention,

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof with parts broken out, y

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the pointer carrying plate, and

Fig. 5 is 'a detail perspective view of the bolt used in this invention with parts broken out.

In the embodiment illustrated, a plate or bar 1 is shown of any suitable or desired length, preferably about twelve inches, and which may be composed of any suitable material, preferably of metal. This plate 1 has a slot 2 extending longitudinally from end to end thereof and the side edges of the plate are both turned downward as shown at 3 and 4, the edge 4 being graduated and having an inch scale ruled thereon.

A spring arm 5 projects longitudinally from one end of the bar 1 and carries on its I lower face a prong or spur 6 which is designed to be forced into the paper and the support beneath it when the device is to be used as a compass and which normally is positioned as shown in- Fig. 2 so that said Rulers and Compasses, of which the follow-4 ment accomplished by the slot 2 as will be hereinafter more fully described.

A hollow bolt 10 is designed to be passed through the slot 2 and has a head 11 with two of its oppposed edges iiattened or made rectilinear as shown at 11 which are designed to be engaged by a member presently to be described to hold the bolt against turning when in use. This bolt 10 has a bore 12 extending longitudinally therethrough, the

` bore tapering from the outer toward the inner end of the bolt and being designed to form a seat for the pencil to be used in marking when the instrument is employed engagementwith the bolt 10 to hold it in operative position when the parts are assembled as will be presently described.

A pointer carrying plate 14 shown clearly. in Fig. 4 is made -in the form of a disk with its central portion downstruck to form a projection 15 of a width corresponding to the slot 2 so that said plate may slide in and be guided by the side walls of the slot. This plate 1'4 has a central aperture 16 for the passage therethrough of the bolt 10 and the opposed ends of the downstruck portion 15 thereof are bent at right angles to provide ianges 17 which are designed to engage the straight edges 11 of the bolt head for holding the bolt against turning. A pointer 18 extends radially from the plate 14 and is desi ed to extend toward the ruled edge 4 o the member 1 as is shown clearly in Fig. l and is held in this position by the engagement of the downstruck portion 15 of said plate 14 with the side walls of the slot 2.

In assembling the pointer, the plate 14 is rst mounted in the slot 2 with the pointer 18 extending toward the graduated edge 4- and then the bolt 10 is passed upwardly from below the bar between the downturned flanges 3 and 4 thereof through the slot 2 and aperture 16 in plate 14 with the flanges as a compass. The nut 13 is designed for saA 17 of said plate extending down over and engaging the straight edges of the head 11 of the bolt'. The nut 13 1s then screwed on to the bolt and the instrument is ready for use. It will be understood that when so assembled the downturned edges of bar 1 will operate to hold theV head 11 of the bolt out of. engagement with .the surface over which the bar is designed to be used when ruling so that no attention need be paid to the pencil carrying element of the ydevice when the instrument is used for a ruler, the spring arm 5 operating to hold the prong in raised position.

When the instrument is to be used as a compass, the nut 13 is loosened on the bolt -10 and said bolt is slipped along theslot 2 until the pointer 18 reaches the mark'on the ruled edge thereof whch will' indicate the radius of the circle to be drawn. When itv reaches the desired point, the nut 13 .is

tightened and the pencil carryin member.

12 will be held in desired position. The prong 6 is then forced down into engagement with the paperl on which the circle is to be drawn, and operates as 'a pivot, the pencil point being enteredin the bore 12 and the instrument moved around to draw the circle desired. As soon as pressure is released `from the head 7 of the prong 6 the spring arm 5 will return to the position shown in Fig. 2 andthe instrument may then be used as a ruler.

From the above description it will be obvious that this instrument may be cheaply,

constructed so as to be Within reach of all school children and will prove a very satisfactory instrument.

From the foregoingpdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and while we have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which we now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, We desire to have it understood that Lacasse the device shown is merely illustrative and -that such changes may be made as are with- '.,cure by Letters .Eat/ent, is:v

1. An instrument of-the class described comprising a 'bar having a graduated edge, a pencil receiving element slidable thereon,

.a spring 'projecting longitudinally from one end 'of said bar, and a prong carrled by said arm and normally held thereby 1n inoperative position out of alinement with the graduated edge of the bar.

2. An instrument of the class described comprisin alongitudinally slotted bar having its si e ed es downturned and oneof them graduate a pencil carrying element slidable in said slot and equipped with means for locking it in adjusted position, a sprin arm extending longitudinally from one en of said bar, and a removable prong mounted in said arm. v

3. A11 instrument of the class describe comprising a longitudinally slotted bar having one edge graduated, a plate having a down-struck portion adapted to fit in said slot and be giided thereby, a pointer extending radia y from said 'plate toward the graduated edge of said bar, a bolt adapted to be inserted from below thebar through said plate and slot, said plate and bolt having coperating elements to hold them in engaged position to prevent turning of the bolt, means for clamping said bolt to said bar, said bolt having a tapered bore extending longitudinally therethrough to orm a pencil receiving element, and a prong carried by said bar to operate as a pivot when the device is used as a compass.

In testimony whereof we aiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH I. MENIN. ALFRED E. PLAUSCHINAT. Witnesses:

HUGH F. QUINN, EDWARD J. RUMFORD. 

